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Wrap carriers
Slings
Slings come in several varieties – sized, cocoon (also called pouch) style slings and more adjustable ring slings.
Right now I’m using the sized sling for Anna that you can see in the photo above. You can tell that she is much less secure in the sling than in the wrap, but it still creates a way for me to carry her about with some extra support. I keep my sized sling in my diaper bag – it’s small enough that it fits easily, and it’s perfect for going from the car to the school to pick up my kids. Pouch-style slings like this come in a huge variety of woven fabrics, and they can look quite elegant – like the one I’m wearing. You can used these slings for a hip carry with older children.
I don’t currently own a ring sling; it’s on my list of things to make. Ring slings are very simple – all you need is rings that are tested to hold your child’s weight, and a length of fabric. Ring slings can do everything a pouch sling can do, but they are more adjustable. The adjustability means they also require more fabric than a sized sling.
Please note that baby slings, especially, can be used incorrectly. Your baby should always be upright – not sideways – and you need to make sure that they can breathe easily. Any babywearing should be a chance for you to be more aware of your baby – not less. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued some helpful guidelines for safely carrying babies in slings, which I recommend reading.
Structured Carriers
I remember carrying my youngest brother and sister in a backpack-style structured carrier in the 1990s. These frame backpacks have mostly been replaced by soft structured carriers – like the ERGO baby carrier, which we own. While I don’t use the ERGO much for little babies, I love soft structured carriers for heavier babies, especially once they are old enough for a back carry. Johnny lived in the ERGO carrier for much of his babyhood, happily observing life from a safe spot. Our ERGO wins points for being the one carrier Mike is happy to use, and I find it to be the most surreptitious-nursing-friendly carrier!
Asian Inspired Baby Carriers
Mei Tai style and other Asian-inspired carriers for me fall somewhere in between soft structured carriers and wrap carriers. I love the carrier below (holding 17-month-old Lily), which is made out of a soft flannel material. I feel that Mei Tai carriers offer more support than a sling (because the weight is distributed across both shoulders and both hips), but a little less support than a good structured carrier. Like a structured carrier, they can be used for front, back, or hip carries, but your baby usually cannot face out. A Mei Tai carrier won’t hold your baby as securely as a wrap, but they are much easier to put on and take off. Made from the right fabric, Mei Tai carriers can look quite elegant.
I own all of these carriers. Right now I mostly use the sling and the wrap carrier, but as Anna grows I suspect that I will shift to using the Mei Tai and ERGO more. I find that I come back to my ERGO (for babies four months and up) and wrap (for babies under four months) over and over – so if I could only own one, it would be one of those. The wrap isn’t hard, once you learn how to do it, and the ERGO provides the best weight distribution out of the carriers I have. However, I think that both sling and Mei Tai carriers look more elegant, and they also take up less space in a diaper bag – and beautiful, affordable handmade versions of both can be found on Etsy.
So, to summarize, here are the pros and cons of each one, from my point of view:
- Wrap
- Pros: Great support for mom AND baby, versatile once you get the hang of wrapping. Can look elegant with the right fabric. Baby is held very securely.
- Cons: It’s a lot of fabric, which can make it hard to put on if you’re out and about. And many people are too intimidated by the wrapping to give it a go (it’s really not that hard – remember, I couldn’t master the Guatemalan back carry but I’ve got this down!)
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- Sling
- Pros: Takes up almost no space in a diaper bag, can look very elegant.
- Cons: Not the best support since weight is distributed across a single shoulder and the opposing hip, and baby is not held as securely as any of the other carriers.
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- Structured carriers
- Pros: Great support, dad-friendly, good for surreptitious nursing.
- Cons: Not ideal for tiny babies, not as elegant as the other three options.
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- Mei Tai
- Pros: good support, less bulky than a structured carrier, and can look more elegant than a structured carrier.
- Cons: You lose the padding you get from a structured carrier, and I don’t consider it ideal for tiny babies – although two of my sisters loved using it with their newborns.
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Do you have a favorite baby carrier? If you live near Boston, you may want to check out the Boston Babywearers – they have a big babywearing bash this Saturday (tomorrow!) and a lending library with over 60 carriers you can borrow to try!
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I love that picture of Emma laughing in her carrier!
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LOVE all your photos and explanations!
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What a coincidence! I also first found out about babywearing while in Guatemala. Granted, I was much older, a recent college grad doing missionary work there for the summer, and I’ll never forget seeing that mama at the market with a little bundle on her back. As soon I found out I was pregnant I knew I had to get a carrier. 12 months later, my husband & I still rely on the Sleepywrap, but since my little girl is >20lbs. already, it’s getting a little uncomfortable. I can’t shell out $100 for an Ergo, as much as I’d like to, but maybe the mei tai could be a good option! Thanks for sharing
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maryanne Reply:
October 12th, 2012 at 10:19 am
Mei Tais make great, affordable alternatives to ERGO carriers, in my opinion! If you sew, there are lots of patterns out there, including free tutorials on the internet. The one pictured in this post is one I made using a McCall pattern, that I got for $1.99 when it was on sale at JoAnn.
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haha, I’m another one that found out about carriers in Guatemala! I started out with a pocket sling when Ingrid was 6 mo old, but with Otis I had a Moby and an Ergo. I think if I had to choose only one I’d go for the splurge of the Ergo. Even though he was tiny, I was still able to use it from the time Otis was a month or so old. And at almost two we still use it!!
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maryanne Reply:
October 13th, 2012 at 10:15 am
How funny that so many of us discovered carriers in Guatemala!
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I wish I would have read this post before I had my son. I used the Moby wrap, which I loved when he was little, but he eventually outgrew it, and I had no clue what to choose next.
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Abby just wasn’t a baby carrier type. In the sling she acted like we were trying to kill her. When she was 4 months old or so, she did go in the Baby Bjorn a few times facing out. She hated facing in.
My sister’s boys liked the sling and I always love to see sweet, sleeping babies in slings. So cute!
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maryanne Reply:
October 13th, 2012 at 10:17 am
Lily didn’t like being worn as much as my other kids – and she was the only baby who liked the Baby Bjorn some friends gave us as a hand-me-down. It hurt my shoulders, though (it was one of the original ones, I think the newer ones are better), so we passed it on to someone else and no longer have one.
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I remember the backpacks more when my kids were little, but the wraps look much more cozy for sure.
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How do you make your own slings?! And the ring sling?!
I am a wrap carrier from newborn stage till ? and only (in various positions and wrap styles) in front.
For the back I use my ERGO (I finaly spent the money on it with Phinia because I needed to get her on my back quickly to protect her from Audrey’s overflowing affection :) – this is the only carrier we bought; all others were gifts, which Robin actually finds very uncomfortable on his chest (?!), so he prefers the wrap carrier or his shoulders (when they are bigger). For hikes we received a special hiking carrier with sun and rain protection extras included.
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maryanne Reply:
October 13th, 2012 at 10:22 am
That’s why we spent the money on an ERGO – to keep Johnny out of Emma’s reach! Sometimes there just isn’t time to fuss with a wrap!
For the ring sling, you just need a length of fabric and the rings that are made for slings. You might be able to find some online? I have patterns for regular slings and a Mei Tai, and if you google it you will find tutorials for both :)
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Great post! I love the idea of being able to try out a bunch. I had a fleece sling and I loved how simple it was. I also had a baby bjorn and liked that one too but I have to be honest, I didn’t use them as much as I thought I would. I blame it on content and heavy babies, one 9-3, one 10-3 as newborns.
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maryanne Reply:
October 13th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Those are BIG babies! The three other carriers I described all provide better support than either a baby bjorn or a sling, at least in my opinion :)
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Oh my goodness I love the photo of you with Lily in the MT. Gorgeous!!! I’m a wrapper myself, although lately I’ve been reaching for my Olives and Applesauce soft structured carrier for quick back carries.
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maryanne Reply:
October 16th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
I’ve never seen that carrier – will have to look it up, just out of curiosity :)
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I LOVE all your sweet baby wearing photos, MaryAnne! I guess my baby carriers would be antiques now, but with my babies born in 1985 and 1990 I loved using front carriers when they were little and structured carriers when they were older. My husband loved using the structured carriers, too! I linked up and pinned your post to my Babies – Activities and Ideas Board at http://pinterest.com/debchitwood/babies-activities-and-ideas/
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maryanne Reply:
October 16th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Thank you, Deb!
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My Mom used an Asian baby carriers with me, and then we tried to figure out how to use it again when my boys were born, and the straps were too short for me!
I used an Ergo variation with my kiddos and like it. Of course I also liked my stroller because it had a place for tired toddlers to climb onto also, so that was a big help for me.
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maryanne Reply:
October 16th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Good strollers are lifesavers!
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A baby should never face forward in a carrier. Especially a stretchy wrap. And when you tell people about back carriers you should also inform them that a back carry should NEVER be done in a stretchy wrap. You are supposed to use a woven wrap. That’s a complete safety issue
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 12th, 2012 at 10:00 am
Thanks for sharing. I was only writing about back carrying in the context of a woven wrap, if you read the post.
The wrap I have came with instructions for a facing out carry. It’s got the same give as the woven wrap I now own – it’s a very tight knit. But my babies have only faced out when I was supporting their weight as well, and never for long. The positioning still looks better than a bjorn, to me. If you have any articles on this you’d like me to read, I’d love for you to pass them on.
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 12th, 2012 at 10:24 am
Hi Gabrielle,
I did some research, and it does look like the manufacturer of my wrap no longer recommends facing out, so I’m updating the post to reflect this. Thanks for sharing that information.
The manufacturer does say their wrap can be used for a back carry (see here: http://www.babylonia.be/p/9/Baby_Carriers/tricot_slen/BDDTS). Doesn’t mean that a woven carrier would not be better. As I mentioned in the post, it’s not a carry that I’ve used – and I wrote about it in the context of woven wraps.
I always appreciate readers bringing up concerns or other issues with my posts – thank you!
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Actually stretchy wraps are never EVER recommended by trained babywearing advocates. Don’t trust everything a manufacturer says
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 13th, 2012 at 8:38 am
I would love to see research on this, if you have links. I would never recommends a stretchy wrap for a larger baby, but my newborns feel extremely secure in a well-wrapped tight knit, and I’ve never had any issues with material sagging. And a quick search of the babywearing sites I’ve read gave the same opinion.
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 13th, 2012 at 9:59 am
The UK National Health Service has actually used the (knit) Moby wrap for their Active Birth project – so they clearly think it is safe.
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Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum Reply:
December 13th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
I can confirm MaryAnne’s information about the UK National Heath Service. My Son J was in SCBU for 5 days after birth on the Unit there was a selection of Moby and Stretch wraps (close wrap)which are made from knitted Jeresy or knit cotton so that they will stretch and they are used for Kangaroo care of the babies. When attending antenatal classes with the NCT (National Childbirth Trust) there was one of the 6 session about baby wearing with a babywearing coach present. For newborn until 5 to 7 months (depending on when they are able to sit unsupported) a knit stretch wrap is the recommended type it keeps babies legs in the frog position most healthy for hip alignment and is most secure.
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 13th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Thank you for sharing this, Cerys!
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For back wraps they are never reccomended, which is what the discussion was about. I can link you to a TON of sources telling you this
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 14th, 2012 at 10:31 am
I agree with you, that a woven wrap makes a lot more sense for a back carry, Gabrielle. I was just commenting that when I visited the knit wrap site they were recommending it (which surprised me). Thanks for clarifying your comment.
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If you check out my blog I recently did a post about wraps. Stretchys should NEVER be used in a back carry
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MaryAnne Reply:
December 16th, 2012 at 9:24 am
According to your post, the stretchy Bali wrap can be used in a back carry. My post is not recommending the use of any stretchy wrap in a back carry.
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That is the one and only, and it’s technically not a full stretchy
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The Sling Library is fabulous – I’ve tried out two carirers and had loads of advice from Emily about all the different choices. My daughter is one – I started out using a jersey sling for the first few months and then started using a Baby Bjorn but now using the BB for any length of time gives me a sore lower back. Not so with the slings in the Library – the two that I tried were super comfy, even for a whole day out. Having the opportunity to actually try the carirers before buying is so helpful – it would be awful to buy one and then find that it wasn’t comfy. Also – going to the Library was fun – lots of mums with different aged babies trying out different slings and swapping experiences and Emily on hand to tell us the pros and cons of each one. Seriously brilliant – so glad that a friend recommended it to me.
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The Sling Library is an excellent srviece and I am pleased I found out about it. Emily is very helpful, approachable and knowledgable.I have borrowed 5 slings in total, a Mei Tai, ring sling and 3 soft structured slings, an Ergo Performance, a Boba and a Connecta. My favourite of the soft structured slings has been the Ergo Performance. I am going to buy one for myself today. It’s really comfortable and has been tried by other members of my family who all agree. I have been on two long walks over the last week with it and found it comfortable, supportive and lightweight. We’ve also used it to carry my son around the house while doing stuff round the house. We are pleased to find that it is proving to be quite good to send him to sleep in too. Also, there are two pockets at the front, one with a sleep hood and an empty one which is just big enough to carry a few nappies and wipes.
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MaryAnne Reply:
January 10th, 2013 at 2:38 pm
I’ve never tried the Ergo Performance – great to know you like it!
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I love babywearing but am not sure how it fits into thstage we are currently in
- helping baby distinguish night from day. When I wear him, he is so comfortable he sleeps a lot, meaning he tends to be up more at night. Do I need to cut back during the day so he has more awake time, or do you have other suggestions?
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Just had an epiphany about this after reading Dr. Sears. I think our baby’s nighttime sleep has gotten worse as we’ve been trying to get him more tired in the day. Just as kids resist sleep less with earlier bedtimes, our son isn’t sleeping well at night because he isn’t getting enough sleep during the He was doing fine before, we were just trying to begin some gentle sleep-training. Another instance of trying to fix a problem that didn’t exist I am curiou if this was also your experience.
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MaryAnne Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
That has definitely been my experience! With my youngest (baby #4) I’ve emphasized making sure she gets the sleep she needs during the day more than with any of the others – and she sleeps awesomely at night. And I’m noticing that the bad nights tend to come after a day when she had her naps disrupted…
I also had huge success with bedtime after moving it up half an hour. Every time we try to move it later we get the resistance you described when it’s time for bed, even though that seems counter-intuitive since they must be more tired.
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It is counter intuitive, but it does fit the pattern! Glad to hear your experience confirms my suspicion. Will definitely adjust our tactics! Feels much better this way anyway.
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MaryAnne Reply:
January 28th, 2013 at 3:59 pm
I hope it works as well for you as it has for us!
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Leanna @ Alldonemonkey Reply:
January 29th, 2013 at 9:59 am
Last couple nights have been much better, thanks! :)
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MaryAnne Reply:
January 29th, 2013 at 2:18 pm
Hooray!!!
I am with Sage Magazine and I would like to feature this in our April issue which we are dedicating to baby-wearing. If you are interested, here is our contact info: http://www.sagemagazineonline.com, http://www.facebook.com/sagemagazine, sagemagazineonline@gmail.com
Thank you!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 21st, 2013 at 8:27 pm
I may be interested. Can you give me a little bit more information about what you have in mind?
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